Between Dreams and Reality
by peeps42
Summary: Set right after the 100th episode. Angel won't accept what happened so he seeks out someone who can give him answers.


_Set right after the 100th episode of Angel when Cordelia leaves. Even though we all know what happened I just don't think Angel would accept it quite yet so here is my idea of a follow up. (Or maybe he didn't and I missed an episode, sorry if I did.)_

_Don't own Angel else it would still be on the air and Gunn and/or Spike would be mine on weekends._

_Author: PeepsRfun2eat_

_Title: Between Reality & Waking_

A cool breeze from the woods blew passed Angel. The smell of a campfire; sounds of chatter and laughter surrounding it inundated his senses. Following the noise he walked down towards it. He stood on a hill watching a group of people ranging in ages all just sitting around talking, laughing, and roasting marshmallows.

Angel would have enjoyed watching the moment had he known where the hell he was.

"I know it is so sweet it could give you a toothache," said a female voice behind him.

The only indication that he did not hear the person approaching was the tensing of his shoulders.

"Sorry for sneaking up on you," said the voice.

Angel turned around and was about to say that she did not startle him. But the shock of seeing a small child standing there put all denials from his mind.

"What were you expecting, an Amazon woman in flowing white?"

"Well you are a...whatever you are," he said.

"It would be to long of story to exactly explain what I am. Also everyone gets to pick and chose what they look like. Now maybe if you had caught me on another day I would look like a biker dude."

"Oh."

"You have only 10 minutes before you get kicked out of here, so let's hurry up with the questions."

Angel's eyes shifted nervously and took a deep breath.

"Why?"

"Why not? Are you a philosophy professor or something?"

"You know why."

"I do but I want to here you actually state a more specific question. Instead of just 'why?', got me?"

"Why did Cordelia have to die?"

"We all have to die eventually, even you will one day. When it is our time then we go."

"But it shouldn't have been her time."

"That's what you say. Come on lets get comfortable."

The little girl gestured forward and started walking down hill overlooking the campfire and its occupants. Looking behind her the child saw that Angel was doing a good imitation of a manikin.

"You don't want your questions answered I guess," she said.

A look of annoyance crossed Angel's face but then relented and followed the child. With a wave of her hand all of the chatter stopped and each person was frozen in their place. The child took a seat and Angel sat across from her.

Looking around Angel realized they were on a beach and that the waterfront was about 15 ft away from them.

"Where are we?"

"In one of my memories, from when I was a child," said the girl.

The girl gestured towards three people sitting in the corner. There sat a woman and man with a child on their lap. It was her.

"Are those your parents?"

"No my older cousin, her boyfriend, they got married later. She told me this place was magical that it was that place you go when you shut your eyes; the place between dreams and waking."

Angel did not quite know how to react to that type of summary so just said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Strange, but nice."

"Thanks. So what are your questions?"

"What do you think they are about?"

"Well how about we get back to the ones about Cordelia then we'll discuss who really shot JFK."

The look he shot her did not deter her from staring him down.

"Isn't there another way for it to have happened? Why did she have to die?" he asked.

"Yes there was another way but more would have died the other way. She chose to die she knew her options and chose for the greater good and all that."

"Well the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

"True also, but she had to decide and she did what she was felt was right."

"That doesn't sound like the Cordelia I know. Now I am not saying she is selfish, it is just she would have found a way around it."

"Angel sometimes there are no loopholes."

"She just wouldn't give up what we had."

The tone in the girl's voice became thick with emotion.

"Trust me when I say she looked, she looked really damn hard for another way. Sometimes you just have to accept it."

"I don't want to accept it damn it!"

Angel suddenly stood up and started pacing along in the sand.

"Don't you realize just how painful it was for me?" he said.

"For you?!" the girl said. She herself suddenly jumped up and stood in front of Angel. The look covering her face looked vaguely familiar to him.

"I love you and it was so painful for me to give up we had. If I have to accept it then you have to also Angel," said the girl whose eyes were shining with unshed tears.

Looking at the girl it finally dawned on him. The flowing dark hair, her curious eyes, the olive skin but the main thing was the mannerism on her face.

"Cordy?"

The look of betrayal that Cordelia saw in Angel's eyes nearly made her scream. Angel tried to make a noise of protest but found that she had taken that ability from him.

As she waved her hand a bright light appeared that forced Angel to shut his eyes. He felt himself leaving her plane of existence but was not leaving without a fight. He swore he saw her behind his shut eyes and stopped struggling. It was in that place between dreams and awareness that he felt Cordy brushing her lips gently over his.

__

_Please review! Critiques, flames, idol worshipping, or randomness welcomed!_


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